1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed generally to expandable batons for use by law enforcement personnel and is specifically directed to a formed handle cover for such batons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Expandable batons are well known intermediate force weapons used as a restraint device by law enforcement personnel. Typically, such batons include a plurality of nesting sections which may be whipped and telescoped into the expanded position and locked in place in a single motion. The locking mechanism may include a button lock system as shown in my issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,092, or a tapered wedge lock system as shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,297.
The largest section of the nesting baton typically defines the handle by which the baton is gripped during use. It is desirable that the handle be covered with a high-friction cover in order to permit maximum utilization of the baton while minimizing the risk of the baton slipping out of the grasp of the user. The material for the cover must be capable of withstanding rigorous, repeated use without separating from the baton handle. In the prior art, several different cover styles and designs are available, ranging from a knurled surface applied directly to the baton casing to wrapping or enveloping the baton handle with a Neoprene brand, Hypolon brand or foamed vinyl cover.
The knurled handle increases the friction over a smooth surface, but not to a degree sufficient to achieve the desired functional result. That is, the friction level of the cover is still too low for certain whipping motions, increasing the risk of the baton flying out of the hand during use. Alternatively, too much knurling may eat through clothing or wear the lining of a coat or shirt. However, the knurled handle does meet the requirements of being durable and permanently secured to the baton, thereby minimizing loss of function through wear and tear.
As more exotic materials are utilized for batons, from wound fibers to hardened steel or tungsten/magnesium alloys, the cost of machining a knurled handle becomes almost prohibitive.
More recently, handles are covered with a cylindrical tube cover formed to fit snugly on the periphery of the baton. Specifically, covers have been dip molded onto cores shaped like baton handles. Dip molded covers, however, are time consuming and expensive to manufacture. Further, as a result of the dipping process, the wall of the cover is thicker at its bottom portion than at its top portion. To protect the thinner portion of the cover, a collar is welded into the handle. Such collars, however, are expensive and add to the cost of manufacturing the baton. Also, dip molding is imprecise. Environmental factors such as heat, temperature and humidity have a great effect on the thickness of the covers. Thus, it is not uncommon for dip molded covers to be rejected as being either too thick or too thin.
The covers are bonded to the baton by either glue or other bonding adhesives which are applied directly to the abutting surfaces or through the use of double backed tape or the like. Double backed tape is particularly useful since it allows the best available bonding agent to be applied directly to the cover while at the same time permitting use of the most effective bonding agent to be applied against the surface of the handle.
However, even with the use of double backed tapes, after repeated uses the cover will slip relative to the baton handle. As a result, the front exposed edge of the cover tends to wear and roll back from repeated insertion of the baton into a typical scabbard used for stowing the baton handle on the person of the law enforcement personnel. This is particularly true if the baton includes an integral taper, making a tubular cover loose in specific regions of the handle. Also, because installing the cover onto the handle must be done by hand, it requires a great deal of time, which adds to the expense of the manufacturing process.
In addition, in practice the baton is extended by a whipping action that causes the telescoping sections of the baton to lock in an extended position. After use, the extended baton must be retracted. To retract the baton, the tip of the baton typically is struck against a hard surface and the telescoping sections collapse into a nesting position within the baton handle. The collapsing action often requires a significant force to release the extended baton from its locked extended position. The repeated action of extending and retracting the baton may cause the cover to slip relative to the baton. During the whipping action used to extend the baton, there exists a potential for the cover to slip relative to the handle. Similarly, during the collapsing of the baton, the striking action results in a downward force being applied to the cover, the force having a tendency to cause the cover to slip relative to the handle. The cover slipping relative to the handle can bring about undesirable results. For example, when the cover becomes loose relative to the baton handle, it is possible that the handle may actually slip out of the cover during the extending action. Thus, there is a need to provide an extendable baton having a cover that will not slip relative to the baton handle during use.
Rigid annular collars have helped alleviate this problem, but such collars increase both the cost of material and the cost of assembly of the baton. In addition, it is possible that such collars will separate from the baton, further increasing the possibility of reducing the functional life of the device.
Because of the critical applications in which such batons are employed, it is important that the handle cover be secure and maintained at optimum function throughout its life. Therefore, there remains a need for a durable friction cover for expandable batons designed for law enforcement use.
The subject invention is specifically directed to a durable friction cover for an expandable baton for law enforcement use. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a cover is formed on and bonded directly to the handle of the expandable baton in an injection molding operation. This eliminates loose outer ends and resultant rolling or tearing of the cover through repeated use, without the need of a collar to protect the front exposed edge of the cover. The resulting cover is durable, is permanently bonded to the baton and is inexpensive to manufacture, the forming and bonding steps being accomplished in a single overmolding process.
In the preferred embodiment, the baton handle is placed in a mold cavity and the cover material is injection molded directly onto the handle. In an alternate preferred embodiment, the outer surface of the baton handle is provided with circumferential locking rings or grooves. The material injection molded about the baton handle fills the locking grooves during the injection molding process such that there is a mating relationship between the grooves of the baton handle and the resulting injection molded cover. In particular, ridges are formed about the inside surface of the cover to mate with the grooves of the handle. The ridges of the cover and the grooves of the handle cooperate to retain the cover in place after the cover is injection molded onto the baton handle. The grooves are designed to prevent the cover from slipping or moving relative to the baton handle during the extending or retracting actions. Furthermore, because the grooves are deeper than the xe2x80x9cstretchxe2x80x9d of the cover material, the ridges of the cover are prevented from stretching out of cooperation with the grooves during the extension or retraction of the expandable baton. In this manner, the cover is maintained in a fixed position with respect to the baton handle, thereby preventing the problems associated with slippage of the cover relative to the baton handle. Furthermore, not only does injection molding permanently bond the material to the baton handle, but the mold cavity defines the custom shape of the cover, permitting an integral, continuous, wrap around construction, greatly enhancing both the appearance and the durability of the cover. In addition, the molding process eliminates several steps of manufacture, reducing the overall costs of the product. Costs are further reduced because the molding process ensures the precision of the covers, thereby reducing waste resulting from imprecise covers.
Overmolding in this manner also permits a broader selection of covers to be utilized without changing the manufacturing process. Various pigments may be added to the stock material to permit handles of different, selected colors. The composition of the stock material and the pressure and cure time of the molding process may be adjusted to provide handles ranging from a hard, rigid material to a soft, compressible or resilient cover. The outer surface of the cover may be controlled by the mold cavity surface.
The molded and formed cover of the subject invention greatly improves the function and appearance of the handle while at the same time reducing the costs of the finished baton.
It is, therefore, an object and feature of the subject invention to provide a formed cover for the handle of an expandable baton for law enforcement use.
It is an additional object and feature of the subject invention to provide a cover that is permanently bonded to the baton handle.
It is a further object and feature of the subject invention to provide a cover and a baton handle wherein circumferential locking rings or grooves are provided on the baton handle to mate with ridges provided on the cover to prevent relative movement between the cover and baton handle during operation.
It is another object and feature of the subject invention to provide a cover having outer ends which do not come loose or roll back as a result of repeated insertions of the baton into a standard baton scabbard on the person of the law enforcement personnel for stowing the baton.
It is yet another object and feature of the subject invention to provide a baton having a variety of color covers and texture covers using a single manufacturing process.